PHOTOSTREAM: MOCA’s Sold-Out Hex Party Dazzles

When Marjorie Talalay and partner Nina Castelli Sundell created The New Gallery in 1968 a block or two west of the Euclid Avenue location of what has become MOCA Cleveland’s new museum, even their feverish imaginations might not have conceived a venue as edgy, disturbing and outrageous as this one. View the PHOTOSTREAM by Thomas Mulready here. Watch the photo animation by Cool Cleveland photographer Elisa Vietri here.

Designed by Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi (in the pink layered dress in these photos), who must dream in four dimensions, the iconic four-story faceted gem on the high-traffic Triangle where Euclid meets Mayfield Road confounds easy comprehension and delivers intoxicating, vertiginous views from every angle, up down and sideways.

Take a look at our video walk-thru with Chief Curator David Norr here, and compare that with these photos at MOCA’s fabulous sold-out Grand Opening Hex Party on 10/06/12. Easily accommodating hundreds of artists, supporters, fans and a ton of art, the hexagon-turned-square surprises the eye, forcing the featured artwork to interact with the venue’s unique character.

Hundreds of bodies meandering through the space helped to define the unparalleled “monumental” staircase, designed to be wandered up like an Italian hillside, perfect for art openings, special events and kids playing hide-and-seek. Partygoers commented that they looked forward to the time when all the art would be displayed, not realizing that work by an incredible 16 artists was on exhibit.

Recognize yourself or a friend in these photos? Feel free to click on the PHOTOSTREAM and comment at the bottom of each slide.

MOCA’s new gem will be open FREE to the public on Mon 10/8, but advance online tickets are required and may already be sold out. Admission is free the first Saturday of every month. General admission is a reasonable $8 Adults, $6 Seniors, $5 Students.

Inaugural exhibition “Inside Out and From the Ground Up,” curated by Norr, features commissions for the bew building by Berlin-based painter Katharina Grosse, Brazilian installation artist Henrique Oliveira, and Cleveland-based photographer Barry Underwood. New works by David Altmejd, Jacqueline Humphries, and William Villalongo plus intriguing works of art by Walead Beshty, Jeremy Blake, Louise Bourgeois, David Hammons, Oliver Husain, Gordon Matta-Clark, Corey McCorkle, Jennifer West, Rachel Whiteread, and Haegue Yang are waiting for your discovery.